Gaseous discharge device



June 25, 1963 c. F. EYER ETAL. 3,095,519

GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed June 2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VE ToRs Che/"7c: f er Joseph M H:

ATTRNEY June 25, 1963 c. F. EYER ErAL 3,095,519

GASEOUS DISUHARGE DEVICE Filed June 2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Char/es Fryer .4 Joseph h. FIT:

United States Patent 3,095,519 GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE Charles F. Eyer, Williamsport, and Joseph W. Ritz, Montoursville, Pa., asslgnors to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,459 6 Claims. (Cl. 313-188) This invention relates to gaseous discharge devices and more particularly to devices of this type which employ a number of electrodes electrically connected together. These connections are generally made by employing various expedients such as wiring external to the device or complicated interconnections of the electrodes internally of the device.

Where the number of electrodes to be operated at the same potential become numerous and particularly where there are several groups of electrodes operable at different potentials with the electrodes of each group at a common potential, as in switching and counter tubes, these connections, usually welded, are very numerous and difficult to make. Such a complex network of connections aiiords many possibilities of poor electrical contacts, short circuits between the connecting wires, and other mechanical and electrical failures. For example, a decade counter tube employing two guide rods per cathode requires thirty-one wires, one of which is an anode wire. At least ten welds are made between Wires forming the electrodes of one group of guide rods and a like number of welds are made between other wires forming electrodes of the second group of guide rods. Also, since the electrodes of one group are not adjoining one another, it is necessary to cross connecting wires, thereby requiring the use of a number of insulators to separate the groups of connecting wires.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gaseous discharge device which employs a plurality of electrodes at like potential with simple electrode interconnecting conductors and with relatively few electrical joints.

A further object of the invention is to interconnect electrodes of like potential so as to avoid the possibility of a short circuit with electrodes at another potential.

It is a still further object of the invention to distribute these interconnections interiorly within the device in a manner to enable the device to be made of small dimensions.

A further object is the simplification and ruggedizing of a gas tube adapted for economic fabrication and having improved electrical characteristics.

The foregoing objectives are achieved in one aspect of the invention by theprovision of a simplified gaseous discharge device wherein a plurality of electrodes are suitably supported by an insulating disc. Both the upper and lower surfaces of this disc contain bonded conductors for interconnecting electrodes of like potential without the use of numerous welds and extra connectors.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a counter tube embodying one aspect of the invention, partially in section and with some parts omitted in the interest of simplicity;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a supporting insulator which may be utilized in tubes illustrating bonded circuits on both surfaces thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing one means for holding the electrodes in position and achieving conductor contact.

Referring to the drawings, a counter tube of the decade type is shown for purposes of illustrating one aspect of the invention. The tube comprises a glass en- 3,095,519 Patented June 25, 1963 ice velope 11 having mounted therein an insulator 28 made from a suitable material such as glass, steatite or alumina ceramic formed to support electrode members 16, 18 and 20. Electrode 14 is centrally positioned and integrally united with a circular anode plate 22. Electrical connectors extend through stem button 12 for purposes of providing interconnections between the tube electrodes and the external operating circuit. Anode sleeve '23 surrounds anode electrode 14 and serves to space anode 22 above supporting insulator 28.

Arranged in a cylindrical array about the anode 22 are three groups of wires or rods. The wires 16 form the counting cathode group and extend through the insulator disc 28 to connect with leads 46 which pass through the stem button 12 and beyond for external connections. The next group of wires constituting guide rods 18 all extend substantially through the insulator disc 28 and there terminate except for one rod 18 which is connected with base lead 48. This lead is connected with a pulsing circuit during tube operation. In like manner, the last group of wires 20 forming the second set of guide rods also extend through the supporting insulator 28 and there terminate except for the single rod 20 which connects with the external pulsing circuit by connection with base lead 50.

The insulating wafer 28 may be of convenient diameter pro-pierced to suitably accommodate and circularly space all of the rods except the anode lead 14, which is com nected to lead 44 and passes axially through the centrally apertured insulator 28 as shown in FIG. 2. Both planar surfaces of this supporting insulator 28 contain permanently bonded conductors for circuits to be hereinafter explained.

If desired, the ceramic disc 28, with supported electrodes I6, 18 and 20, may be further incorporated into the tube structure by threading the lower ends of these electrodes through suitable holes in a spacer shield 26, as of mica, which might extend to the inner wall of envelope 11. This mica spacer is shown snugly positioned against the bottom of supporting insulator 28 and the longer electrodes are deflected outwardly toward the periphery of the insulator 28, thereby positioning the electrode rods for connection with the base leads and for anchoring mica spacer 26. The spacer 26 serves to properly position and hold the electrode mount structure within the envelope 11 as well as to shield the envelope base from sublimation products generated within the upper poition of the tube during operation. Also, the spacer protects the bonded conductor array on the under surface of supporting insulator 28 from possible damage during mount fabrication and processing.

During operation of a counter tube employing a gaseous atmosphere and the structure set forth, the anode disc 22' is positive with respect to the individual cathodes 16, all of which have a fixed potential applied thereto. Upon energization, a gaseous discharge occurs between the anode and one of the cathodes. The rods 18 and 20 form guides or temporary cathodes adapted to shift the discharge from a fixed potential cathode 16 to the next adjacent fixed potential cathode 16 upon application of appropriate sequential pulses to the guides. These two guides are used to ensure the gaseous discharge transfer to the next cathode so that the discharge will not revert back to the previous counting cathode 16.

Since all of the rods 20 and all of the rods 18 are pulsed, respectively, simultaneously, each set may be permanently connected together as a separate group. The wire 18 group and the Wire 20 group have respective base leads 48 and 50 as shown in FIG. I.

To efiect the grouping connections of the wires, insulating disc 28 has bonded thereto an integral structure,

as an array of bonded conductors which, for example, may be in the form of a circle 30 for each common group of wires, with radial fingers 32 bonded to every wire in the common group. In a preferred form of the invention, see FIG. 2, and to avoid the radial fingers from approaching too close to one another, the conductive bonding for one common group of wires is placed on the upper face of the support insulator 28, and the other conductive bonding is placed on the lower face. This conductor material can be applied as a metallic paint or a die-cut metal tape by any conventional method. Rods 20 are shown electrically connected on the top of insulator 28 and rods 18 on the bottom of insulator 28. Each circuit comprises annular portion 30 of relatively small radius positioned inwardly of the circle of wires 16, 18 and 20 in the insulator, with radial fingers 32 extending outwardly from the circle and bonded to each of the respective wires 18 or 20 of this array of circumferential wires; thereby forming two separately integrated electrical groupings.

In order to rigidly anchor electrode rods 16, 18 and 20 in support insulator 28 and to ensure good electrical bonding between conductive fingers 32 and electrode wires 18 and 20, the electrode rods and the support insulator are mounted as shown in FIG. 3. On support insulator 28, the apertures for electrodes 16 and 18 have cavities or recesses 29 at the top, while apertures for electrodes 20 have no top cavities. This progression of two cavities and no cavity is repetitive around the circle of apertures. As will be explained subsequently, this cavity arrangement reduces the electrical shorting possibilities generally caused by cathode-anode sublimation deposits on the top surface of support insulator 28. Preferably each electrode lead 16, 18 and 20 is formed to provide a localized area of increased diameter shown as upset 21. These upsets 21 are larger than the aperture diameters in support insulator 28 so that they may serve as upper electrode stops in the cavities 29 for electrodes 16 and 18 and as the stops on the top surface of the support insulator 28 for electrodes 20. Preferably all electrode rods 16, 18 and 20 are also swaged to provide upsets on the under surface of support insulator 28 to thereby rigidly anchor the rods on the disc. Those electrode rods not requiring external connections may be cut adjacent to the bottom swages 24. Electrode rods 16, being of the counting cathode group, have no connection with bonded conductors on support insulator 28 but are within recesses 29 on the top surface of 28 so as to be insulated from sublimation deposits. Guide rods 18 are likewise within top recesses 29 for protection from sublimation but have a firm contact with the lower bonded conductor 32 by means of swages 24. A small amount of electrical bonding material, such as solder, may be applied to the swage-conductor areas on the insulator to ensure a permanent electrical connection. Associated guide rods 20 set directly on the conductive material 32 bonded to the top surface of support insulator 28. A small amount of electrical bonding material, such as solder, may also be applied to the upset-conductor areas to ensure a permanent electrical connection for rods 20. The electrical interconnections for electrode rods 20 are actually enhanced by the cathode-anode metallic sublimation deposits occurring during tube operation.

To conduct the pulses to the respective sets of wires 18 and 20, as explained heretofore, one only, of each of the wires 18 and 20 need be connected to the external base leads 48 and 50 respectively. When a decade counter is employed, there projects exteriorly of the tube the anode lead 44, the ten fixed potential counting cathode leads 46 and the two guide rod leads 48 and 50 to provide a total of thirteen leads.

The above-described tube structure employing an insulator with bonded conductors eliminates the need for numerous welds, separate buss conductors and the associated insulators heretofore required. Also, the conductively bonded insulator electrode assembly desirably allows pre-testing of circuitry before the electrode mount structure is completed. Accordingly, there is provided a compact tube which is simple and economical to manufacture and has an assurance of improved electrical connections.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A multi-electrode gaseous discharge device having an envelope with a multiplicity of internal electrodes therein operable at one potential, an insulator supporting the electrodes, and means for interconnecting said electrodes comprising bonded conductors on a face of the suppont insulator, said conductors having portions electrically connected to said electrodes.

2. A gaseous discharge device having an envelope with several groups of electrodes therein, one of said groups being adapted to have one potential applied thereto and another of said groups being adapted to have another potential applied thereto, a common insulator supporting the electrodes, means for interconnecting the electrodes comprising a conductor on a face of the support insulator having portions electrically bonded to said one electrode group and a conductor on the opposed face of the support insulator having portions electrically bonded to said other group of electrodes, and at least one base lead connected to each of said groups of electrodes.

3. A gaseous discharge device having an envelope and including a cylindrical insulator disc, a plurality of electrodes operable in groups positioned in a circular array supported by said insulator and arranged enar the periphery thereof, a first conductor bonded to one face of the support insulator and having fingers connected to one electrode group comprising every third one of said electrodes, a second conductor bonded to the opposed face of the support insulator and having fingers connected to another electrode group comprising every third one of said electrodes next adjacent said one electrode group, and a lead connected to each bonded conductor and each remaining electrode in the array extending exteriorly of the envelope.

4. A gaseous discharge device having an envelope and including a supporting insulator disc, an anode, a lead attached to said anode extending exteriorly of the envelope, at least there groups of wires supported by said insulator disc in a circular array, each group comprising every third wire of said array, a first conductor bonded to one face of the support disc comprising an annulus of smaller diameter than the diameter of said array of wires having radial fingers extending toward and connected to the second group of said wires, a second conductor having substantially the same form as said first conductor bond-ed to the other face of the insulator connected to the third group of wires, and an individual lead extending exteriorly of the envelope connected to said first conductor, said second conductor, and each wire in said first group of Wires.

5. A gaseous discharge device adapted to be electrically pulsed including an envelope, a circular ceramic supporting insulator mounted therein, an anode lead axially traversing the support insulator and having a circular anode surrounding and electrically connected to said lead, a circular array of wires comprising three groups of wires, the first group of wires traversing the insulator with their lower ends extending below the insulator, said first group of wires being arranged near the periphery of the insulator, the second group of wires being arranged alternately to the Wires of said first group near the periphery of the insulator, said second group being formed to conduct pulses to positions opposite the anode disc, at first annular conductor bonded to one face of the insulator centrally of the circular Wire array having substantially radially extending conductive fingers connected to all of the wires of said second group, at least one of the wires of the second group extending below the insulator, the third group of said wires being arranged similarly to said second group with each successive wire of the third group spaced between successive wires of the first and second groups, all of said wires being substantially equally circumferentially spaced from each other, and a second annular conductor having conductive fingers formed substantially the same as said first conductor bonded to the other face of the insulator and connected to the wires of the third group, one of the wires of said third group extending below the insulator, whereby independent connections externally of the device may be made to the anode and to each of the wires of the first group with one single external connection to each of the second and third groups of wires.

6. A gaseous discharge device having an envelope with several groups of electrodes therein, one of said groups being adapted to have one potential applied thereto and another of said groups being adapted to have another p0- tential applied thereto, a common insulator supporting the electrodes having one group of relatively small apertures formed therein associated with said one electrode group and another group of relatively small apertures formed therein associated with said other electrode group, one face of said insulator having relatively large recesses terminating at said relatively small second group apertures, means for interconnecting the electrodes comprising a concluctor on said one face of the support insulator having portions electrically bonded to said one electrode group only and a conductor on the opposed face of the support insulator having portions electrically bonded to said other group of electrodes only, and at least one base lead connected to each of said groups of electrodes.

Williams et al July 21, 1959 Turner et al. Mar. 13, 1962 

1. A MULTI-ELECTRODE GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE HAVING AN ENVELOPE WITH A MULTIPLICITY OF INTERNAL ELECTRODES THEREIN OPERABLE AT ONE POTENTIAL, AN INSULATOR SUPPORTING THE ELECTRODES, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID ELECTRODES COMPRISING BONDED CONDUCTORS ON A FACE OF THE SUPPORT INSULATOR, SAID CONDUCTORS HAVING PORTIONS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRODES. 